


Ten To One (part 2 of 3)

by batyatoon



Series: Ten to One [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-13
Updated: 2011-03-13
Packaged: 2017-10-16 22:52:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/170257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/batyatoon/pseuds/batyatoon





	Ten To One (part 2 of 3)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [s_k](https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_k/gifts).



Liz sits cross-legged on the floor, her cloak spreading around her like spilled blood, watching the Doctor pace.

"It started when we first announced the Landing. _Starship UK_ leading all the other Ark ships back to old Mother Earth." She smiles again, her eyes going soft and distant. "Oh, there were cheers. Dancing and singing in the corridors. After all these centuries, we were going home."

"Centuries," whispers Elizabeth, her lips pale.

Liz gives her a sidelong glance, and a grin. "I'm older than I look, mum."

"But it didn't last," says the Doctor, still studying Liz.

"Oh, it lasted," she contradicts, her voice sharpening. "Problem was a few people didn't like the idea. Still don't. Say we've been doing fine living in space, we ought to stay here and not go back to living on a planet. Or they say it's a hoax, that Earth still isn't fit to live on and won't ever be, and the government's planning to kill us all."

"How dare they?" Elizabeth straightens in her chair. "Will Englishmen in this time give their Queen the lie to her very face?"

Liz snorts. "Not to my _face_ they don't. But oh, they talk, and there's no stopping that. There's a whole faction now. And Hammond's been leading them on."

"Hammond?" The Doctor looks at her, startled.

"One of my ministers," she says flatly. "He's a crafty one; won't ever speak treason outright, but he's been getting more and more of my people terrified of the Landing, till they're desperate to stop it any way they can." She waves a hand at the door. "Till this happens."

Elizabeth's mouth tightens. "Thus he keeps his own hands clean of it, and can swear he knew nothing of any such despicable treachery against the throne."

"Yeah." Liz gives her a cynical smile. "That's about the size of it."

"And have you no soldiers or guards to defend your person, that you must needs go armed?"

Liz's voice sharpens a little, possibly in reaction to the imperfectly concealed distaste in Elizabeth's tone. "I carry these when I need to get about on my own, mum. _Or_ when I can't count on my guards answering to only me. Like right now."

"All right," says the Doctor, in that distant calculating tone that Elizabeth knows is his most dangerous. "What's to be done about Hammond, then, is that the problem?"

"And how to stop my people thinking the Landing's going to mean the end of the world," Liz adds.

"Two problems," he says, still distant -- until his eyes focus on them again. "One solution. Maybe. Liz, what can you tell me about...?"

And he's off. Elizabeth can tell there'll be no speaking to him until he's solved the puzzle. Until he's fixed it.

She'll have a harder puzzle for him when this is over.


End file.
